A game of two halves, and for once the phrase earns itself. The Red Bibs were 5–1 up inside twenty-three minutes at Claremont Avenue on Monday night. They did not score again. The Yellow Bibs scored six in a row and won it 7–5.
It had not started badly for the Yellows. Samurai Gayle sliced the Red defence open with a chipped corner inside the first minute, and you cannot give Wayne Goddard of all people that much time and space — he brought it down, dummied his man and rifled a low shot past Ali N. One minute gone, one–nil.
Enter Jamil Mohammed
Then the debutant took over. Jamil Mohammed struck up an instant understanding with Jordan Clarke and between them they carved the Yellows apart. On three Mohammed took Roy Nallathamby’s pass, had Clarke free in the middle, gave Jonti Chisholm the eyes instead and fired into the near post.
On six his corner was inch-perfect onto the head of Clarke, who had dashed across his markers to the near post to flick it in. On thirteen the pair swapped roles and Mohammed had his second. On fourteen Mohammed’s first-time pass flew into Clarke, who fired in off Chisholm for 4–1.
By twenty-three he had made it five of five. His pass sent Yanky Vogel through to finish low, and it was Vogel’s first Footy Vision goal. Five–one, and the game looked over.
Six in thirty minutes
It was not over. Goddard set up John Shady on twenty-five and Rakaan Al-anazi found Goddard on twenty-seven. Then Samurai Gayle put Ross Collins in on thirty-one and Collins thumped it in from long range — the goal of the day, and suddenly it was 5–4 with the Reds no longer moving.
Shady returned the favour on thirty-nine for Goddard’s hat-trick and the equaliser. Gayle got one of his own on forty-three to put the Yellows ahead for the first time since the opening minute, and Collins had his second on fifty-three to settle it.
The posts, and the saves
The Reds were not finished without a say in it. Clarke — JJ to everyone who plays here — struck the post on fifty-one, and Roy Nallathamby hit the same post a few minutes later. In between, Jonti Chisholm produced a string of close-range saves that kept the Reds from clawing the lead back.
Chisholm may have done better with one or two of the early ones and was below his own very high standards in the first half hour. He more than redeemed himself late on. At the other end Ali N was in equally good form, stopping the Yellows on several occasions in a night that could have been far worse for him.
Two debutants, and both of them stood out: Mohammed for obvious reasons, and Khalid Omer, who looked solid throughout for the Yellows. Shady’s link-up play from centre forward was impressive given how long he has been out of the game. Goddard takes the award for returning to form and then protecting the comeback he had started.